After the Indiana Pacers signed rookie Enrique Freeman to their final two-way contract, it marked the end of Oscar Tshiebwe’s tenure with the team. Despite his potential, it was evident that the Pacers did not have a role for him on their roster. Fortunately for the 24-year-old, he will continue his NBA career with a new team.
The Utah Jazz have officially announced that they have signed Tshiebwe to a two-way contract. To accommodate this move, they waived guard Taevion Kinsey.
Tshiebwe, who was signed by the Pacers as an undrafted free agent last year, played in eight NBA games, averaging 3.3 points and 2 rebounds in 5.3 minutes per game. While his NBA performance was modest, he made a significant impact in the G League.
With the Indiana Mad Ants, Tshiebwe averaged 16.2 points, a league-leading 16 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1 steal per game over 23 games. He also shot 55.7% from the field, earning him spots on the G League All-Rookie First Team and All-G League First Team, as well as the G League Rookie of the Year award.
The Pacers have several promising big men on their roster, including Myles Turner as the starting center and Pascal Siakam, who can also play center. They added James Wiseman on a two-year minimum contract this offseason, and former first-round pick Isaiah Jackson is expected to take on a bigger role following Jalen Smith’s departure to the Chicago Bulls.
While Tshiebwe showed impressive skills in the G League, it became clear that the Pacers would not have room for him on their main roster in the near future.
